What’s up with daylight savings time, anyway?  Why is the *summertime* called “daylight savings time,” when it’s really in the dark winter months that the management of scarce daylight is an important concern?  While it’s nice to enjoy some early darkness on Halloween, it’s generally depressing that just as dusk is falling earlier and earlier, it suddenly falls a whole hour earlier.  I here note my dislike of the “fall back.”

Or am I missing the point here?  What’s supposed to be “saved” anyhow by dst?  Is it daylight?  Or is it electricity and money that’s being “saved” by means of a daylight time adjustment?  Or, during this time is the daylight supposed to be saving us, perhaps?  That’s sort of a neat idea.

The Khronos projector.

Well, I’ve been quiet lately.  I have to say that I’m been waiting with bated breath for news of what might be coming out this week, as prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald (possibly) decides what (if anything) members of the Bush Admin ought to be charged with, re the Valerie Plame case.  The liberalistas over at the DailyKos and elsewhere have taken to calling the much anticipated day of  indictments “Fitzmas” (and once, I swear, “Fitzukkah”).

Now, this is something that one really can’t blog about without devoting way too much time to various  theories floating about there, discussing who knew what when and how.  But I have spent a bit of time keeping up with these.  The most frightening of the conspiracy theories is this one here, which is now beginning to get some air time—I saw Pat Buchannan airing it publicly on the McLaughlin Report this morning.  I have to say that I wish I didn’t take this theory seriously—that I believed that Karl Rove, capable thought he was of bugging his own campaign headquarters to smear his opponent, and spreading rumors of race-mixing to discredit John McCain in South Carolina, would still, even he, know better than to try throwing a few forged documents into the mix, in the effort to push the U.S. into war.

Perhaps this possibility should make me glad—that a palpable deception will be uncovered, and the evil of this administration revealed.  Beyond the weakening of the administration that is probable should Rove and Libby be indicted, further revelations of how the White House Information Group sought to push the nation to war with bad intelligence could lead to the resignation or impeachment of George Bush.  These are things I long to see.

But such an onerous act.  If true, it would be only one of countless acts of craven deception that happen each day, and would only add a little to the scope of the wrongdoings of this administration.  But still, I hope that Rove and his colleagues did not undertake to have forged these documents linking Iraq to an attempted purchase of nuclear materials—because if it’s true, my God.  What hope do we have?

But if something like this did happen—and whatever happened with the Bush team’s push for war—I do want to know about it.  And I have to say that I’m relatively optimistic that this investigation may produce at least a couple real indictments, if not the final reckoning I’ve just been contemplating.

And it’s thanks to Peter Fitzgerald, who has lately begun to appear truly heroic in my somewhat jaded eyes.  He’s not that well known.  (Could it be that there’s a thing or two fucked-up with the priorities of the American media?)  His dad was a doorman in New York city, as was Fizgerald, before his law career began.  He became a New York Prosecutor, going after organized crime and Osama Bin Laden.

Finally, he moved to Illinois.  And, while central Illinois politics may be a subject of derision to certain smug East-Coasters, Fitzgerald’s adventures in Springfield give me hope.  In 2001 Fitzgerald began investigating a scandal at the Illinois DMV, in which unqualified truck drivers paid for licenses (leading it seems, to a some real tragedies) .  But what’s impressive is how quickly the investigation shifted from irregularities in the DMV to the office of Illinois Governor George Ryan.  Soon more that 60 of the Governor’s close friends and associates were under indictment for a range of favor and money trading schemes.  The corrupt ex-pharmacist from Kankakee didn’t run for re-election, giving Illinois it’s first Democratic governor in 30 years.

In this example (as in his dealings with the Daley machine in Chicago), Fitzgerald has shown himself to be a ethical prosecutor who pursues investigations where they lead, and who is not subject to intimidation.  I think that if the case against Bush’s cronies, or Bush himself, can be made persuasively that Fitzgerald will pursue it accordingly. 

I looked up Patrick Fitzgerald on Wikipedia today.  Surprisingly, his Illinois exploits concerning Ryan were not  even mentioned.  But after a quick edit by yours truly, the entry stands corrected.  Which is strange, actually, when you consider that some nobody like me can so easily mess about with the page that is Google’s first hit for “Patrick Fitzgerald.”

I wonder how long before Wikipedia becomes the subject of organized efforts by governments and corporations to control the information it contains?

In any case, Merry Fitzmas to all.  And to all a good night.

[UPDATE:  It’s been confirmed now, that Fitzgerald has been asking some interesting questions]

[OTOH, this poster over at DKos makes some good points about all the “Fitzmas” talk]

While retailers used to wait til after Thanksgiving to break out the Christmas stuff, now even Halloween cannot stem the swelling Yule tide.  The results are sometimes a little disturbing.

As you know, UI is appealing the NCAA ruling that finds that UI’s “Chief Illiniwek” mascot/symbol racially offensive.

There’s a long thread on this over at http://illVVVinipundit.com/ about this (remove the V’s), where I wasted a bit of time.  IP is usually a sort of sorry website where people collect to moan and groan about the MTD and Naomi Jacobsen; but I see it’s a bit more lively now that left wingers stop by now and again.  But still full of angry conservative types.

Debbie Reese posted some contact info for anyone interested in affecting this decision:

Debbie Reese Says:
October 17th, 2005 at 6:51 pm

If any of you are interested in writing to the NCAA, asking them to reject UIUC’s appeal, the contact information is below. I realize that some of you will use the contact info to write to the NCAA to support the BOT. Also included is contact info for others who you can write to.

Dr. Myles Brand, President
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
317-917-6222
mbrand@ncaa.org

Dr. Bernard Franklin, Senior Vice President
The National Collegiate Athletic Association
317-917-6222
bfranklin@ncaa.org

Back late from a delightful night with V. and a charming medievalist from York.  V. grabbed my Tarot deck as we left my place, causing me to end up doing readings for the two of them (and, secretly, for myself) at a rather lively Mike and Molly’s.  A good time.  Anyhow, before I go to sleep, let me mention to you something I noted this afternoon while reading at the Aroma Cafe:

You’ll recall my post on the Louisiana Superdome, and its aptness as a metaphor for the failure of design more broadly in the United States.  Or maybe you won’t.  In any case, I like many left-leaning folks had hoped that the system failures exposed by the hurricane would lend strength to a renewed belief in the necessity of design.

But of course, the Bush administration has seized the opportunity of Katrina to further dismantle the social programs that had served to mitigate the problems of the poorest citizens of the coastal south.  Some commentators point this out with glee.

In any case, I was reading some Thomas Browne this afternoon.  Browne’s Pseudodoxia Epidemica offers a window into the worldview that prevents some Americans from viewing human engineering as an appropriate response to the judgment of God.

So, you may have thought that the Tower of Babel was built to try the reach God in his heavens.  Ok.  But, Thomas Browne points out, that’s not the only theory:

That the Tower of Babel was erected against a second deluge.

AN opinion there is of some generality, that our fathers after the Flood attempted the tower of  Babel to secure themselves from a second Deluge. Which however affirmed by Josephus and others, hath seemed improbable unto many who have discoursed hereon. For, (beside that they could not be ignorant of the promise of God never […]o drowne the world againe, and had the Rainebow before their eyes

to put them in minde thereof) it is improbable from the nature of the Deluge, which being not possibly causable from naturall showres above, or watery […]ruptions below, but requiring a supernaturall hand, and such as all acknowledge irresistible; wee must disparage their knowledge and judgement in so succeslesse attempts.

Againe, they must probably heare, and some might know, that the waters of the flood ascended fifteene cubits above the highest mountaines. Now, if as some define, the perpendicular altitude of the highest mountaines bee foure miles, or as others, but fifteene furlongs, it is not easily conceived how such a structure could bee effected; except wee receive the description of Herodotus concerning the Tower of Belus, whose first tower was eight furlongs higher, and eight more built upon it; except we beleeve the Annian Berosus, or the traditionall relation of Jerome.

It was improbable from the place, that is a plaine in the land of Shinar. And if the situation of Babylon were such at first as it was in the dayes of Herodotus, it was rather a seat of amenity and pleasure, then conducing unto this intention; it being in a very great plaine, and so improper a place to provide against a generall Deluge by towers and eminent structures, that they were faine to make provisions against particular and annuall inundations by ditches and trenches, after the manner of Aegypt. And therefore Sir Walter Ralegh accordingly objecteth; If the Nations which followed Nimrod, still doubted the surprise of a second flood, according to the opinions of the antient Hebrewes, it soundeth ill to the eare of Reason, that they would have spent many yeares in that low and overflowne valley of Mesopotamia. And therefore in this situation, they chose a place more likely to have secured them from the worlds destruction by fire, then another Deluge of water, and as Pierius observeth, some have conceived that this was their intention.

Lastly, the reason is delivered in the Text. Let us build us a City and a Tower, whose top may reach unto heaven, and let us make us a name, lest wee be scattered abroad upon the whole earth, as wee have already began to wander over a part. These were the open ends proposed unto the people, but the secret designe of Nimrod, was to settle unto himselfe a place of dominion, and rule over the rest of his brethren, as it after succeeded, according to the delivery of the Text, The beginning of his kingdome was Babel. 

So, Browne corrects Josephus’s erroneous view that this tower could have been built not as an effort to reach or challenge God, but as a desperate collective attempt to escape God’s arbitrary wrath.  Writing from the seventeenth century, Browne doubts reasonably that any such tower could have provided protection from a deluge that would overtop four-mile-high mountains.  Human design, Browne notes, cannot protect us from the severity of God’s judgment—a sentiment echoed, unfortunately, by many contemporary flood victims—who seem to have taken Browne’s fatalistic meaning as Katrina’s central message.

It’s interesting to note that while Browne dismisses the idea of Babel as a flood defense, he is more cautious about ridiculing the tower’s announced purpose of reaching heaven (which would, presumably, also require a tower height of more than four miles).

I ask you.  Submitted for your (re?) consideration:

Thepartyparty: music that reveals a whole other side to George W. Bush.

Two favorites:

1) Imagine

2) Who’s the N**ga?

And then, also:  camera tossing.

Well, I’m recovering now after a long week of grading and conferencing.  Looking forward to a week or so of work on my own disseration and job materials.

A couple posts ago I mentioned the sublime glories of Fischerspooner—a band much maligned for their Pitchfork driven popularity, but which is really pretty good.  The tune I mentioned earlier is a splendid little post-Lacanian medition on a kind of infantile sublime.

Lyrically, Fischerspooner seems often to concern infantile sorts of psychologial response—which is one reason their best known single, while not baroque in its musical complexity,  provides what is probably the most accurate account to be found in a post-911 song of why the US military ended up in Iraq.

And speaking of infantile violence, have a look a couple video clips from the Australian CNN, which has lately been having some dark fun at the expense of the war-loving American public:

Clip 1

Clip 2

Proud moments in the great national return to the imaginary.

A rather speculative History of the Codpiece.

Oh, and also, have you ever thought of quitting the academy and making a living by balancing rocks?  That sounds pretty good somehow.

A while ago I was bemoaning the lack for the lack of a pithy and tawrdy left equivalent to the Drudge Report.  Well, I’ve been keeping an eye on The Huffington Post.  I’m not sure it’s much further left than Bill Clinton or the horrid Bill Marr, but it does seem tawdry enough.

I’m reminded of the HP by the fact that Sleater-Kinney is coming to Champaign tonight.  A few weeks ago the august Rick Moody wrote at the Huffington Post that Sleater-Kinney is the only good Rock and Roll Band left in the world.  Seems perhaps a bit much, but I’ll probably be there tonight to check ‘em out, nonetheless.  See ya there.

Dead.